Interventions help customers curb harmful drinking
Wine drinkers, in particular, reported a change in their behaviour |
Brief interventions by community pharmacists may be able to reduce hazardous and harmful drinking, results of a pilot study suggest.
Pharmacists in eight community pharmacies in Greater Glasgow undertook
a two-day training programme and then recruited 70 participants to the
study over a three-month period. A screening tool was used to identify
hazardous and harmful drinking: 30 people (42.9 per cent) were found
to be drinking hazardously and seven (10 per cent) to be drinking harmfully.
The researchers found that, on follow-up, about six months later, a number
in the trial group — particularly those who were wine drinkers — reported
a clear change in their behaviour after the pharmacists’ interventions.
The pharmacists involved were also positive about the project and noted
no aggressive or strong negative reactions.
“
While none of the community pharmacists were previously involved in regular
and routine enquiries about alcohol with clients, it was feasible for
them, with training, to screen and intervene on alcohol issues,” the
researchers say.
Pauline Corr, from Fergusson Pharmacy in Balornock, Glasgow, and one
of the community pharmacists who took part in the study, commented: “Most
people were happy to talk to us about their alcohol consumption. We have
a private consultation room, which made the process easier, and we also
had two pharmacists working at the time, so a pharmacist was able to
leave the dispensary.” She explained that many people from the
pharmacy’s smoking cessation service were recruited to the study
along with people who enquired about the study after seeing posters and
leaflets. “People were often surprised by the results in terms
of how many units they were drinking, particularly people who drank wine
or beer, who may just have a few glasses after work, but they were all
generally positive about being involved,” she said.
Details of the study, funded by the Alcohol Education and Research Council,
are available from the website of drug and alcohol education consultancy
group Create
Consultancy
The researchers are now seeking funding to carry out a clinical trial. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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